Bill Russell is without a doubt one of the most legendary players to have ever touched the floor in the NBA. He won 11 championships during his time with the Boston Celtics, and he’s easily the winningest superstar in NBA history.
This year, Bill Russell passed away, and the NBA decided to retire his No. 6 jersey across the league. He is also the first player ever to receive this honor, and it’s certainly well-deserved.
The NBA will retire the No. 6 league-wide honoring the late, legendary player and activist Bill Russell.
Bill Russell becomes the first player in NBA history to have his jersey retired across the league. All NBA players will also wear a patch on the right shoulder of their jerseys during 2022-23 season, and every arena’s court will display a clover-shaped logo with No. 6.
While obviously, the entire league will take part in this action to honor Bill Russell’s memory, it seems as though the Boston Celtics will be doing even more to honor their franchise legend.
The Boston Celtics Will Have A Huge No. 6 On Their Basketball Court
Most recently, the Boston Celtics’ official Twitter account unveiled their “special tribute” to Bill Russell. They have put Bill Russell’s No. 6 in the paint on their basketball court to commemorate him.
Be on the lookout for a special tribute to Bill Russell on the parquet this season ☘️ pic.twitter.com/Pt6IoZbekx
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 19, 2022
Bill Russell was a pioneer of the sport. He played in an era where racism was extremely common across America, and there’s no question that Russell helped pave the way for a better future for the league both on and off the court. On top of his excellence in playing basketball, he was also a civil rights advocate. Once, B. J. Armstrong highlighted his importance to the league, claiming that there would be “no Michael Jordan or LeBron James or Kobe Bryant” without Bill Russell.
“When I begin to think about what Bill Russell and all of those players from that time had to endure, my respect for that era – especially given what they had to go through – is beyond reproach.”
He also wrote, “That is what Black History Month is all about, and why it’s important we celebrate it. In basketball, there is no Michael Jordan or LeBron James or Kobe Bryant without Bill Russell.”
It is quite clear that Bill Russell’s legacy is set in stone, and his name will be remembered for many more generations to come. His influence on the league echoes even today.
Hopefully, the Boston Celtics will be able to have a good season next year, and perhaps we’ll see them win their 18th championship. As of right now, they have a contending squad, and they definitely have enough talent to get back to the Finals.
